Fresh earthquake in Karonga kills 3, injures 200, displaces 300, 000
Two strong earthquakes hit Karonga district on early Sunday killing three people, injuring about 200 people and displacing thousands of residents.
The District Commissioner (DC) Gasten Macheka confirmed the incidents, noting that many people have panicked.
“Yes, we had this huge earthquake early this morning and so far I can confirm three deaths and about 200 injuries,” said the Karonga District Commissioner.
Last month, a quake killed a one-year-old and injured two people.
Karonga District Hospital officials confirmed to Nyasa Times that they are treating about 170 victims hit by the quake on Sunday. They are being treated with various degrees from broken bones to skin lacerations.
Some people with critical injuries have been evacuated to Mzuzu central hospital about 230 kilometres away.
According to Dr. Leonard Kalindekafe, the Director of the Malawi’s Department of Geological Surveys, the earthquake occurred at 1.26 local time (23.26 GMT).
”This was a massive one, the biggest to hit the area so far,” Kalindekafe said.
The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) asked government to declare Karonga tremors a national disaster.
The rights campaigners appealed for stakeholders especially from the civil and private sector to come in and help the victims in one way or the other.
CHRR condemned Paladin Africa who are mining uranium in the district for not supporting the victims.
“Paladin have been spectators in this disaster, they have been observers while communities have been traumatized with the earthquake, their houses being destroyed.
“Paladin has shown they do not care about the people of Karonga welfare. Paladin would have taken a lead in helping the people such as providing tents, clean water, medicine and other amenities to shown they care for the people and not only care for mining uranium only,” said CHRR head, Undule Mwakasungula.
However, Paladin spokesman Neville Huxman said output at Kayelekera uranium mine was not affected by the quakes and production continued as normal.
“There has not been any impact at all. The mine is designed to withstand earth movements greater than what is the current range,” he said.
The rights watchdog pointed out that the earthquake has drawn a number of lessons for the nation.
“One as a country it seems we are not prepared for such natural disasters, it seems we do not have contingency or emergency measures to deal with such eventualities. This has been shown with slow or luke warm reaction by the government in disaster,” said CHRR.
The organisation said government should declare the northern region border district with Tanzania as disaster area in order to motivate more donors support
The government earlier this week asked for help from the public to help cater for the displaced by providing food, blankets and tents.
In 1989, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake killed at least nine people and injured 100 in central Malawi and made 50,000 homeless, according to the USGS.
Tagged with: earthquake, Gasten Macheka, Karonga
As Malawians we should all come together at this point in time – forget political differences, Mulhako nonsense and all come to support our sisters and brothers in Karonga
I however think the number of people displaced is over-exaggerated. It cannot be 300,000!
GOD HAS NOTHING WHY DO YOU ATTRIBUTE EVERYTHING TO THIS RESOLUTE MUTE WHO OFFERS NO HELP AT ALL..
Where do you get information you guys? In Karonga we dont have 300, 000 people infact we are around 270,000. How can we trust your news then? Undule is useless. He has destructive contributions.
You may also wish to know that its not the entire district that is affected. Its just part of the 270,000 people living in Karonga. So where are you getting these figures. Check with NSO?
To all my brothers and sisters in Malawi and especially Karonga, we are sorry for the disaster. I want to greatly disagree and in fact condemn those who think that this is a time to start condemning and prophesying. Let us be human. Are the prophets saying that Karonga has more sins than all other towns in Africa. what is required here is action. When we have people sleeping outside and others going hungry and living in deplorable conditions, do we begin by condemning them? I’m indeed ashamed that this is the case. Cant we give one of these a smile as we head for Xmas?
To reply to this comment, this prophecy did not begin when earthquake shook Karonga, Njeri it began in Moi university in Eldoret Kenya when the Man Of God stood in a Repentance Meeting and Prophesied about two earthquakes, one coming to Hit Malawi and another hitting Texas. i am shocked at velocity that it has been fulfilled with,and even saddened by the damage but God is God, there is nothing you can do. Njeri, Check out facts and read your bible. Make sure you repent about daring to speak about spiritual things you have no knowledge of. i have repented for you too. Shalom.
i am really sorry for all the victims. for those who survived pray to GOD ALMIGHTY FOR KEEPING YOU ALIVE. IN JESUS CHRIST AMEN
The news of fatalities, displacements and injuries to people is a wake-up call for the Malawi Government to assert itself in improving living standards for its people. For areas prone to such disturbances, perhaps it is about time the Govenment assist the people by setting standards of housing to be erected to limit fatalities from earthquakes. The government can help by introduction of readily available subsidised building materials designed to minimise injuries and deaths. Research into this should be put into operation with immediate effect so that we can build a sustainable standard of living for the people in such earthquake prone areas. Tents are temporarary measures. however, we should now be aware that owning a tent as an emergency temporary home is now a requirement which we can longer ignore so long as they are affordable by the masses.